Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the restrictions on the independent media in Burundi.

​We are very concerned by restrictions on the media in Burundi. Freedom of the media is essential in any functioning democracy; people must be allowed to debate issues freely, to challenge their governments, and to be informed by a strong and robust media. We condemn the decision made by the Government of Burundi to revoke the BBC's operating license, suspend the Voice of America, and the recent decisions to restrict the reporting activities of local media. These decisions are particularly concerning in light of the 2020 elections for which a free and independent media is vital.